Portable commode.



M. MEYER.

PORTABLE COMMODE.

APPLICATION mm lUNE24| 1915.

Patented June 27, 1916.

W ld moses MARTIN MEYER, 0F OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

PORTABLE GOMMODE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 27,1916.

Application filed June'24,'1915. Serial No. 36,102.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN MEYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Commodes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a portable commode, and has for its principal object to provide such a construction that the parts may be collapsed in a manner to be readily packed in a campers outfit, or the like, and that adequate strength and durability may be attained.

Other objects include such a mounting for the cover that it may be disposed in the plane of the seat when folded, and may be fulcrumed between its ends to provide an inclined back rest without the use of hinges also the use of a pair of U-shaped rods mounted midway between their ends adapted to swing from the seat in an arc exceeding 90 degrees and supported without the use of strap hinges, said U-shaped rods each providing a pair of legs.

Still another object is to provide a structure consisting of few and simple parts which may be manufacturedconveniently and at slight expense, comparatively.

With the foregoing objects in View the invention presents a novel construction, com bination and arrangement of parts as described herein and claimed, and as illus trated in the accompanying drawing, where1n, I

Flgure I is a view of the commode in side elevation, the lid being elevated to provide an inclined" back rest. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a rear end view of the commode, the lid being shown in a closed position. Fig. i is an. end

consisting'ofa metallic rodbent at substantially right angles adjacent toits' ends,and

providing for member A the rectilinear shaft 8 and pair of legs 8", and'p'rovrding.

for the second member B a rectilinear shaft 7 and a pan of legs 7.-

Suitable clips or bearing members 9 are mounted upon the bottom adjacent to the rear end of the seat, in which the shaft 8 of the supporting member A may be mounted, and at 9 are indicated clips or bearing members which are mounted upon the bottom adjacent to the front end of the seat toprovide a mounting for the shaft 7 of the supporting member B. The shafts may be rotated intheir bearings so that the legs may be swung to an extended position below the seat as shown Fig. 1, or may be disposed substantially parallel with the seat, as shown in Fig. 4. By referring to Fig. 3 it will be noted that, when col-lapsed, legs 7 will be disposed inwardly of legs 8, shaft 7 having a less length than shaft 8, and legs 8 will be disposed outwardly of legs 7 and outwardly from'the sides of the seat, which arrangement permits the swinging movements of the legs, as described, without contacting with each other, and also permits the use of detent bars.

Disposed midway betweenthe front and back of the seat and mounted upon the me tal'lic strips 6 .are provided guides, each preferably consisting of a latch bar 10 secured to said strip by means of keepers a.

At 11 are indicated a pair of detent bars, each being disposed upon the side of a leg 18-, and pivoted at 12, near its outer end, substantially midway between the ends of said leg. They are provided at their outer ends w-itl'r hooks 13' and are engaged'by the guides" or latches 10; and are adapted to have slidablemovements in 7 said guides. Numeralslt indicate asecond pair of detent bars, each being disposed upon the outer side of a leg 7" and pivotally mounted thereon, as indicated at 12", said pivotal mounting being substantially midway between the ends of said leg,'and they are also slidably' mounted in guides 10; and are provided at their inner ends with hooks 13.

A lid or cover'15is provided, said lid having a form corresponding and an area equal" tot-hat of the seat,,so that when the device is folded, the entire upper surface of the seat may be excluded from View and that no part of the lid will project beyond the side's or ends of the seat to be obtrusive. A pair of links 16' are provided which have their outer ends pivotallymounted at 17 to the: sides, between the front and rear ends of the lid, their inner ends, as indicated at 18, being pivotally mounted upon the sides, inwardly of. the rear ends of the seat. The length of the links and the pivotal mountings therefor are so arranged and proportioned that the lid, when swung forwardly will be disposed in the plane of the seat. Since the legs 8 are disposed outwardly of the sides of the seat, a part of the lid, when elevated, may be disposed between and inwardly of legs 8 and, comparatively, may project a considerable distance below the seat, near to the pivotal mounting of detent bars 11,

i for a support upon the lugs 19, said lugs being mounted upon the detent bars 11 adjacent to their pivotal mounting 12, and projecting inwardly of said bars. It will be noted that when the parts are extended, .as described, the lugs 19 will be di posed in a plane inwardly of the rear end of the seat to permit the upper part of thelid to be inclined rearwardly. A drawer 20 is provided for containing toilet paper, and upon the rear end of the seat issecured a handle 21.

The device may be folded to occupy a limited space as shown in Fig. I. During the operation of folding, shafts 7 and 8 will have limited rotatable movements, legs 7 swinging to a position below and legs 8 moving to the sides of the seat, the detent bars 11 and 14: sliding in guides 10 without appreciable friction.

l/Vhen the parts are fully extended the legs will project outwardly from below the seat, their outward swinging movements being in an arc exceeding degrees, and limited by the engagement of the hooks 13 and 13 with one of the keepersa of the guides 10, which provides a very strong construction for resisting stresses. It will be noted that on account of the mounting provided for links 16, the lid may be swung in an arc exceeding 90 degrees and when closed covers the entire seat, and when elevated it is fulcrumed between its ends in a manner to resist stresses to advantage, no hinges being employed; and the upward and rear-' ward inclination for the back rest or lid, provided by the particular arrangement of parts, as described, is obviously a desirable feature.

Having fully described my invention,

what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

1.v In a portable commode, the combination of a seat, guides mounted on the side edges midway between the ends of the seat, a pair of leg members substantially of U- shape arranged to swing from the bottom of said seat, detent bars pivotally mounted on the leg members and engaging the guides, a pair of lugs on the detent bars, a lid, a pair of links pivotally mounted at one of their ends on the side edges intermediate the ends of the lid, their opposite ends being mounted pivotally on the side seat, a pair of leg members substantially of U-shape arranged to swing from the bottom of the seat, detent bars engaging the guides and pivotally mounted on the leg members, lugs mounted on two of said detent bars, a rectangular lid, a pair of links having their respective ends pivotally mounted intermediate the ends of the lid and intermediate the ends of the seat to permit a swinging movement of the lid in an arc exceeding 90 degrees for disposing one of its ends in engagement with said lugs.

In a portable commode, an apertured rectangular seat provided with bearing members at its front and rear ends, a supporting member, a second supporting member, each supporting member consisting of a metallic rod bent adjacent to its ends to provide a rectilinear shaft and a pair of legs disposed substantially at right angles to the shaft, said first named and second supporting members being disposed with their respective shafts engaging the bearings at the rear and front ends of the seat to permit swinging movements of the legs in an are greater than 90 degrees below the seat, guides mounted on the sides of the seat midway between its ends, a pair of detent bars pivotally mounted substantially midway between the ends of the legs of the first named supporting member and engaging the guides, lugs projecting inwardly from the detent bars adjacent to the pivotal mounting of said bars, a rectangular lid, a pair of links each having one of its ends pivotally mounted upon the sides inwardly of the rear end of the seat, its opposite end being pivotally mounted upon the sides intermediate the ends of the lid to permit a swinging movement ofthe lid in one direction to be disposed in the plane of the seat and to permit a swinging movement of the lid in an opposite direction for engagement with said lugs.

4:. In a portable commode, an apertured rectangular seat provided with hearing members at its front and rear ends, a supporting member consisting ofa metallic rod bentadjacent to'its-ends to provide a rectilinear shaft having a length greater than the width of the seat and a pair of legs disposed substantially at right angles to the shaft, a second supporting member consisting of a metallic rod bent adjacent to its ends to provide a rectilinear shaft having a length equal to the width of the seat, said first named and second supporting members being disposed with their respective shafts engaging the bearings at the rear and front ends of the seat to permit swinging movements of the legs in an arc exceeding 90 degrees, guides mounted on the sides of the seat midway between its ends, a pair of detent bars pivotally mounted substantially midway between the ends of the legs of the first named supporting member and engaging the guides, a second pair of detent bars 'pivotally mounted, substantially midway between the ends of the legs of the second supporting member and engaging said guides, lugs projecting inwardly from the first named detent bars adjacent to the pivotal mounting thereof, a rectilinear lid having an area in plan substantially equal to that of the seat, a pair of links each having one of its ends pivotally mounted upon the sides inwardly of the rear end of the 'seat, its opposite end being pivotally mounted upon the sides intermediate the ends of the lid to permit a swinging movement of the lid in one direction to be disposed in the plane of the seat, and to permit a swinging movement of the lid in an opposite direction in an arc exceeding 90 degrees for engagement of its lower end with said lugs.

In testimony whereof, I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARTIN MEYER.

Witnesses: I

HIRAM A. STURGEs, ARTHUR H. STURcEs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for flve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. G. 

